


King and Lionheart

by Stardustwrites17



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Banter, Blood and Injury, Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), FebuWhump2021, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Guilt, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Impaled, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, Post-Canon, Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Whump, febuwhumpday14, febuwhumpday4, i didn't mean it, merlin whump, or something like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29198700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stardustwrites17/pseuds/Stardustwrites17
Summary: “You really need to stop doing this”Merlin looked like he wanted to laugh.“What? Save your sorry arse?”“Yes”This time Merlin did laugh.“I’m afraid that’s my job, sire. My destiny, even”“Fuck destiny”Merlin dissolved into chuckles again, and Arthur watched him, a small smile in his own lips....The king has feelings for his ridiculous sorcerer, they finally talk bout the past, and Merlin saves Arthur once again, not necessarily in that order.(Basically the writer had some feels to let out and this seemed like the best option to do so).
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 266





	King and Lionheart

**Author's Note:**

> For the febuwhump challenge, days 4 and 14: impaled, and "I didn't mean it"

Arthur stared, wide eyed, as the soldier he’d been about to lose to was knocked off his feet. He turned just in time to see Merlin with his hand outstretched and golden eyes locked on him, and another soldier creeping up behind him. 

There was a flash of cool steel, and then the battle seemed to pause.

Arthur stood frozen, watching as Merlin dropped to his knees, his hand pressing against his side. His eyes were wide, looking ahead but unseeing as blood seeped through his fingers.

Arthur might have screamed his name, he wasn’t entirely sure. The only thing he knew was that one second he was too far away and the next he was by his servant’s side, a man on the floor next to him, oozing crimson from a fatal wound that matched the blood in his own sword. 

Merlin was almost grey, his eyes dull and his lips colorless. He fell forward, but Arthur was there to catch him. 

“You idiot.” he scolded, trying not to let panic seep into his tone. Rain has started falling down hard, making it hard to see. “What the hell were you thinking?” 

“You looked like you needed help.” Merlin mumbled, letting out a gasp as Arthur pressed his cape against the wound in Merlin’s side. 

“Never again, you clot pole, you hear me?” Arthur’s voice trembled, so he stopped talking. Merlin grinned weakly, eyes half closed, and nodded, leaning against Arthur’s chest. 

…

“GAIUS!” Arthur bellowed when Gwaine opened the door to the physician’s chambers. 

Merlin was huddled in his arms, trembling all over even though he was wrapped in Gwaine’s cape. 

The old physician appeared from seemingly nowhere, his eyes widening when they fell on Merlin. He was wearing a large coat, and Arthur couldn’t blame him. It was unusually cold in the chamber, even colder since Gwaine, Merlin and he were drenched from head to toe. He thought he remembered Merlin complaining that the roof needed fixing and that one of the windows was broken, letting cold air and rain in. 

At Gaius’ command, Arthur set Merlin down on one of the tables. Merlin immediately shivered more violently, turning his head one way and another. Arthur ran a hand through the raven’s hair, which made him freeze and relax minutely. 

After that the next hour was a blur of blood, Gaius barking orders at whoever was closest, and Merlin’s pained cries. Gwen arrived at one point, she kept running back and forth, bringing water and anything Gaius asked in a matter of seconds. 

Arthur stayed through all of it, never leaving his station by Merlin’s head, running a hand through the sweaty locks every time he tried to move or yelled out in pain. 

Eventually, Merlin’s screams turned to strangled breaths, his half lidded eyes shut completely, and Arthur hid his hands in Merlin’s thick hair so that no one could see how they were shaking.

He spotted his cape, which had been thrown to a corner. The blood in it had turned it so dark it looked almost purple in the firelight. 

Arthur did not look again. 

...

“What’s wrong, why hasn’t he stopped shivering?” Arthur asked (demanded more than anything) from where he was pacing up and down the room. Gaius shook his head.

“He should be fine, sire, but the blood loss will leave him cold for a few days. I’ve lit a fire to keep him warm, but I’m afraid one of the windows is broken and the roof has a few holes that need fixing. The main thing now is to make sure the wound doesn’t get infected and to keep him as warm as possible”.

“I’ll take him to my chambers,” Arthur said quickly.

Gaius hesitated.

“Sire-“

“I don’t care how it may look, Gaius. He saved my life today, I’m not letting him die for it” 

Despite his claim he didn’t move, waiting for Gaius’ approval. He  _ was _ Merlin’s guardian after all. When he nodded, Arthur wasted no time in placing one arm under Merlin’s knees and another one around his back. With little effort, he scooped him up, a blanket still wrapped around him. Merlin’s head rolled to rest against his shoulder.

“Bring anything you need to my chambers” Arthur told Gaius, “If you need anything, just ask for a servant. I’ll have someone come by tomorrow to fix the window and ceiling”

Gaius nodded “Thank you, sire”

Arthur only nodded and headed to the door, trying not to shiver when Merlin’s breath tickled his neck. 

...

“You really need to stop doing this”

Merlin looked like he wanted to laugh.

“What? Save your sorry arse?”

“Yes” 

This time Merlin did laugh.

“I’m afraid that’s my job, sire. My destiny, even”

“Fuck destiny” 

Merlin dissolved into chuckles again, and Arthur watched him, a small smile in his own lips.

The young warlock looked like death, with his pale face and bony chest, but it was still a little better than a few days ago; he was sitting up at least. Colour had returned to his lips, and he wasn’t trembling anymore. Arthur stared at his servant, at the way his eyes were closed in amusement; how his hair, now longer than it used to be, fell in curls in front of his eyes; how his cheeks grew pink at trying to hold back laughter. 

Arthur didn’t really understand what was so funny, but he was content with just watching Merlin laugh like this.

“A thank you would suffice, sire” Merlin grinned.

“Never” 

Merlin rolled his eyes “I shouldn’t be surprised. I save you every other week for years and I get nothing for it” he sighed dramatically. 

Arthur rolled his eyes at his antics from where he was perched on the edge of the bed. 

“Don’t make me laugh, Merlin” 

Merlin raised an eyebrow. He had a stubble nowadays, his blue eyes shone like tiny crystals against the light the fire gave from the lit chimney.

“All these scars are from falling down the stairs, are they?” 

“Well you  _ are  _ awfully clumsy” 

Merlin chuckled again. Arthur looked down at his servant’s chest, noticing the different scars that shone against the dim light. Something in Arthur’s chest fidgeted uneasily.

“Are these all really from protecting me?”

Arthur had found out only a few months ago about Merlin’s magic, and there were still conversations the two hadn’t had, like exactly what Merlin had been doing all these years to protect Arthur. 

Merlin shrugged, “not all of them,” he leaned forward like he wanted to tell Arthur a secret, “I really  _ am  _ a bit clumsy” 

Arthur chuckled, his eyes travelled to Merlin’s exposed back. The smile slipped from his lips.

"What happened here?" 

Slowly, Arthur's fingers trailed down Merlin's shoulder blade, brushing against a white scar. It was not so much  _ one _ as many short white lines, along with a few longer ones. 

Merlin looked at his lap as he mumbled,

"A mace, it happened years ago" 

Arthur frowned, "Who the hell did you piss off?" 

Merlin scoffed, finding the courage to look up at the king. 

"You" 

He wished he hadn't been looking, because the way Arthur's face crumbled, how his eyes filled with guilt and hurt was almost too much. 

"The first time we met" he realized, his eyes wide and panicked, "I didn't- I'm-" 

The way he stumbled over his words, how he looked elsewhere, like he was looking for something to fix what he’d done that first day their destinies had crossed, made something in Merlin melt. Arthur finally looked up.

"I didn't mean it, I'm sorry" 

Merlin grinned at him, his chest lighter than it had been for days. 

"You definitely meant it that day" he joked. Arthur still looked crestfallen. Merlin’s grin fell as he hesitated. 

"Hey" he reached over and lifted Arthur's chin with gentle fingers. His thumb caressed the young king’s cheek. The moment their eyes met he snatched his hand away, suddenly scared.

"I forgave you for that a long time ago, Arthur" 

The blond looked speechless. He stared at Merlin, at his eyes, filled with unspoken emotion; at his chest, painted in scars that the warlock had endured so he hadn't had to; at his lips, smiling and incredibly soft looking. 

He didn't realise what he was doing until he was inches away from Merlin, whose eyes had turned wide. His cheeks were red, he could count every freckle on his skin from this distance. He found he wanted to kiss every single one of them. He cleared his throat, Merlin didn't move, his eyes had trailed down to his lips. 

"I umm" Arthur found he had nothing to say, nothing to excuse his behaviour. 

Merlin still hadn't moved away. 

A moment later and with a huff that might've been laughter, Merlin closed the gap between them. His lips were warm and just as soft as Arthur had imagined. 

They may have sat there for hours, or minutes, or maybe just seconds. When they pulled apart, Merlin's eyes stayed closed. When he  _ did _ open them, they shone, not with a golden colour, but with happiness and something Arthur might have called love if he had been a little braver. 

“I’m definitely going to get impaled more often”

“Don’t you dare” Arthur’s stern look wasn't very effective, given that his ears had grown pink. Merlin laughed and leaned forward again, capturing his lips on his own. Arthur’s hands cradled Merlin’s cheeks. When he felt heat radiating from the skin, he pulled away, frowning. 

“You have a fever” he murmured, placing a hand on his forehead. 

Merlin leaned into the cool touch and nodded, his eyes closing against his will. 

Something in Arthur melted at the sight. 

“That’s a mood killer if I ever saw one,” Merlin muttered. Arthur rolled his eyes and flicked his forehead. Merlin pouted. “Ow”

He leaned forward and kissed Merlin’s brow, making him give a begrudging smile. With a push from Arthur, Merlin found himself lying on the bed once more.

“Go to sleep, Merlin, we’ll talk in the morning” Arthur promised.

Merlin grinned lazily at him, sleep already pulling at his eyelids. 

“What? You’re not joining me?”

_ Don’t tempt me. _

“You’re insufferable” 

“And yet you like me anyway” Merlin looked way too smug. It was both sweet and so annoying.

_ I love you. _

“God knows why” Arthur pushed Merlin’s face onto the pillow, earning a laugh from the warlock, who grabbed his hand to stop him. Merlin didn’t let go of it.

“Good night, Arthur” Merlin sounded impossibly fond, something warm stirred in Arthur’s chest. 

“Good night, Merlin” he smiled back, rolling his eyes when Merlin brought his hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. 

“Idiot”  _ Don’t ever leave me. _

_ “Prat”  I wouldn’t dream of it.  _

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have a cute or funny way to ask for comments this time. Will a please and a thank you do?


End file.
